KALISPELL, Mont.—Two personal watercraft collided on Flathead Lake, causing fatal injuries to a Colorado man, authorities said Friday.
Larry Engelken, 58, of Morrison, Colo., died of blunt force trauma Thursday after he was thrown from his personal watercraft in the Bigfork Bay area, said Sgt. Ernie Freebury, deputy coroner with the Flathead County sheriff’s department.
Engelken was among a group of friends from Colorado who were vacationing in the area. Officials say three from the group were riding abreast with Engelken in the middle when he suddenly turned his craft to the right. To avoid a collision, the man riding to Engelken’s right also turned abruptly, which rolled the bottom of his watercraft out of the water.
Engelken’s watercraft hit the exposed hull and both men were thrown into the water, officials said.
The men were unable to get Engelken to shore and called for help.
The Flathead Lake Lodge sent its sailboat out to aid Engelken. An emergency room doctor who was a guest at the lodge was on board. The doctor performed CPR on Engelken on the sailboat and on the helicopter that took him to Kalispell Regional Medical Center. Engelken was pronounced dead about 90 minutes after the 3:45 p.m. collision.
It does not appear alcohol or criminal negligence played a part in the incident, Freebury said. The collision was being investigated by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and the Flathead County coroner’s office.
